In his first-ever interview, the sole Australian survivor of the Waco siege has revealed to 60 Minutes what really took place during the 51-day stand-off, and why he believes crazed cult leader David Koresh will one day return to Earth as the son of God.

Assange hails Manning's 'epic victory'

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has hailed Chelsea Manning a hero and said her pending release from prison is an "epic victory".

The former US intelligence analyst is due to leave a military jail on Wednesday after serving seven years of a 35-year sentence for leaking hundreds of thousands of classified government documents.

Former president Barack Obama commuted the transgender soldier's sentence in his final days in the White House, outraging Republicans including Donald Trump, who has described her as an "ungrateful traitor".

Manning's family said the sentence had been a "travesty of justice".

Assange called her release "an epic victory which I and many others have long sought. Chelsea Manning is a hero who has inspired many. I can't wait to finally meet her".

In a statement, Manning said she hopes to use the lessons she received in prison to help others.

"I can imagine surviving and living as the person who I am and can finally be in the outside world," she said.